Biolucida Version History

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Biolucida® Version 5.0 (Latest Version)

New Features and Enhancements:

  • Images can now be viewed with any standard web browser using a new cross-platform HTML5 web viewer that doesn’t rely on Java or Flash. This feature can be enabled or disabled for any slide collection to control data access. Hyperlinks to images regions can also be shared and embedded within external documents and pages for integration with lab manuals and educational platforms.
  • GOTO functionality allows users to easily view and toggle annotations in slides from a clickable list.
  • Added a “Filmstrip” that shows and navigates individual planes for image stacks in the web viewer.
  • Added support for new whole slide image formats: Zeiss CZI, Olympus VSI, and BigTiff.
  • If given permission, users can upload slides and images from the Biolucida viewer or web browser directly to server.
  • If given permission, users can download full images from a Biolucida server to their local systems.
    New MBF built Jpeg2000 streaming technology with robust support for huge 3D slides viewed by large numbers of concurrent users.
  • New security framework for Biolucida server processes.
  • Added a new WAMP installer by MBF Bioscience with the most recent updated from Apache and PHP.
  • A new logging system with improved UI and use metrics added for administrators.
  • Viewer support for the latest operating systems (Windows 10, OSX 10.11 El Capitan, Linux CentOS 7)
  • Administrators can now view users’ access permissions for all slide collection in one table.
  • Support for all images formats served by Biolucida can be enabled or disabled by configurations on the server.
  • Slide collections can now be titled with descriptions. Descriptions live at the top of the slide collection and can contain experimental, case, and instructional information.
  • Search and navigation results are now presented instantly in a scrolling, rather than paged, format. Searches can also be restricted to specific slide collections, or performed across all slides a user has permission to view.
  • YouTube videos can now be viewed directly in the Biolucida Viewer.
  • Redesign of the image page and image edit interfaces.
  • Added the ability to show either filename or user specified image name for thumbnails.
  • Improved scrolling to accommodate large scale file, directory, and collection listings.

Biolucida® Version 4.0

New Features and Enhancements:

  • Major redesign of the annotation system including simplified annotation creation, editing, access, as well as improved cross-platform display.
  • Tracked directories can now be easily copied to multiple collections, meaning multiple educators and students can be given slide collections with simple drag and drop operations.

Biolucida® Version 3.2

New Features and Enhancements:

  • When dragging bookmarks to reorder them: valid drop targets display a green colored bullet.
  • When dragging bookmarks to reorder them: dragging bookmarks to ends of Bookmarks window will cause scrolling to happen at a much faster rate and is sensitive to distance to edge of window.
  • Added an icon to indicate the last bookmark that was clicked
  • User interface window is redesigned for better performance with large numbers of bookmarks.
  • Lock and unlock icons now update based on their state.
  • Search workflow changed dramatically. You can now search within the current directory or collection/classroom that you’re viewing. You can also search across all collections or all tracked directories for which you have permission to see.
  • The meta-data of one image can be replaced with the meta-data of a different image. This will generate a new thumbnail.
  • Interface improvement for copying multiple images to a collection. A stacked image icon now appears when dragging multiple images.
  • Copy entire collections of slides with a simple drag. You can now move OR copy a collection when dragging it to a new location.
  • The default image count shows more images per page.
  • Shift+click now supported in the web app.
  • If a server is setup for port 80, don’t show the port number when sharing collection links.
  • Collection links can now have customized names for sharing.
  • Administrators can now assign users to groups and assign access permissions to a group instead of on a per-user basis.
  • When adding/editing users, you now have the option to disable users from editing their profile information.
  • If a user cannot edit their profile, they also cannot add collections or copy images.
  • Users with an assigned workspace cannot access the workspace user interface or remove workspaces.
  • Users now have the option to select how many items per page they would like to see in the “Profile” tab.
  • Added functionality to support links and link organization. They display and work similar to images, but go directly to a web page url using your default browser.
  • Redesigned the “Other Biolucida” dialog. It is now called “Connections” and the interface is much easier tto use, including a list of “Featured Sites”.
  • Added a new “QuickCode” feature which allows administrators to distribute 9-digit alphanumeric codes which can be used by others for quick automatic connections to a server. These connections can optionally be given an expiration date for simplified user administration.
  • The first three channels of an image can now be toggled on and off via the F9, F10, and F11 keys, respectively.
  • Added the ability to set Brightness, Contrast, and Gamma via text edit fields in addition to the sliders.
  • Added support for streaming JPEG images from Biolucida server.
  • Added support for BigTiff variant files, including support for SVS files larger then 4GB in size.
  • Server/Viewer update flexibility: Each server can now set whether its users will be prompted for Biolucida viewer updates. This allows updating users and students when the academic calendar permits.
  • Different server can have different functionality differing installation types (e.g., Medical Education vs. Research oriented installations).
  • Better handling for rare server conditions where resources are either missing or have file corruption.

Biolucida® Version 2.6

New Features and Enhancements:

  • Server connections are easier to name.
  • New collections are now sorted immediately after their creation.
  • User accounts are now sorted alphabetically.
    “Original Filename” is now listed on all edit and edit-all pages.
  • Improved editing of name and information from multiple images.
  • Tag matrices can now be sorted by row.
  • Interface size can be increased or decreased with Ctrl +/- (Windows) and Command +/- (Mac OS).
  • The appearance of the Biolucida viewer can now be customized for guest accounts.
  • Search results are now sorted by collections.
  • Added a new hotkey for marquee zooming: ‘Z’ by default.
  • Improved annotation tracking during image panning and zooming.

Biolucida® Version 2.5

New Features and Enhancements:

  • Added new feature: marquee zoom.
  • When opening images, they will now always be zoomed to fill the current window size.
  • Administrators can choose the default view to be details or thumbnails.
  • Added the ability in details view to sort by original filename.
  • Tags descriptions and notes can now be edited and saved independently in image edit mode.
  • When editing multiple images, tooltips are now available for individual images.
  • Tag matrix page is now color coded for easier reading.
  • Added the ability to unload and load a workspace for testing customized user environments.
  • Bookmark and annotation windows now support word wrapping.

Biolucida® Version 2.4

New Features and Enhancements:

  • Tags listed in the Add Tag dropdown are now alphabetized.
  • The detailed thumbnail view can be customized with columns that can be ordered or hidden.
  • Improved permission control of tracked directories.
  • Standardized the look shareable URLs.
  • The annotation interface now indicates when it is edit or view mode.
  • Biolucida now supports displaying any webpage as its default view. Educational systems such as blackboard can now be directly used from the viewer.
  • Improved the search bar and search button appearance in Firefox and Safari.
  • File path now displayed for local images in image information.
  • Added default image zoom keybindings: Ctrl +/- on Windows and Command +/- on Mac OS in addition to mouse wheel zooming.

Biolucida® Version 2.3

New Features and Enhancements:

  • Guest accounts can open multiple images and generate Tag Matrices.
  • Thumbnail browser can be detached for easy navigation.
  • Tags are now listed alphabetically while searching.
  • Improved locked image functionality.
  • Images can now be open directly from Tag Matrix.
  • Improved meta data display for SVS files.
  • Pixel scaling can now be customized.
  • Next and previous images arrows can be hidden or displayed.
  • Added new options for limiting functionality using workspaces: next and previous image arrows, information window, macroview window, bookmark list, and image adjustment window.
  • Multichannel images with no supporting XMP data can now be opened and served remotely.

Biolucida® Version 2.2

New Features and Enhancements:

  • Improved server logs: multiple day reports are now available.
  • There is now always an option to load a local slide from menu options.
  • Improved browser compatibility for sharable hyperlinks.
  • Improved searching by tags and tag groups.
  • Multiple images can be selected and simultaneously opened.
  • Folders are now listed in the detailed thumbnail view.
  • Tags can now be deleted when editing multiple images.
  • Users can now select all images in a collection for opening, editing, or other operations.
  • Guest users are now able to select thumbnail size or detailed image view.
  • Image scaling reported for all supported image types.
  • A scale bar can now be shown or hidden on virtual slides.
  • Images in a collection can now be navigated using next and previous arrows in the upper right corner of the image, or customizable hotkeys.
  • Icons can now be displayed in multiple sizes.
  • Users now have the ability to adjust gamma on slide labels and camera images.
  • Tags can now be organized into tag groups for easier searching and recognition.
  • Enhanced searching capabilities for searches with multiple terms.